The meeting in Panama City had initially offered the world hope that the IWC would actually help to save whales, not whalers, after the Latin American nations proposed the creation of a whale sanctuary in the southern Atlantic.

Not to be outmuscled, however, Japan’s whaling lobby has shamefully continued to hold back meaningful progress for whales globally despite the fact its industry is barely surviving at home.

It’s been a rough few years for the whaling industry here in Japan. Markets are shrinking and whale meat is going unsold at auctions – sometimes no one even bids for it.

Diverted from the third supplementary budget to deal with the fallout from the March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, the 2 billion yen was allocated to “contribute to the recovery of Ishinomaki City”.

The excuse given was that a few crewmembers of the annual Antarctic expeditions lived near Ishinomaki – and therefore the community was benefiting from their employment. The truth is that the taxpayer funds were mostly used to pay off whaling industry debt.

It was an immoral and reprehensible diversion of funds away from communities that desperately needed support (many of which still do), at a critical time, and justifiably led to national and international outrage.

Thankfully, there is little chance the industry can get away with another wasteful stunt like that. There’s no emergency budget it can leech off, no public outcry for it to be supported, and the government is now pushing tax hikes to deal with ballooning national debt.

It would be unfathomably foolish for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to go out on even shakier ground to increase the already large public subsidies the whaling industry receives.

Greenpeace, along with other Japanese NGOs, has been focusing on the market side of whaling in Japan for many years, trying to undermine political and public support for the industry.

What we have seen is a pattern of dwindling consumption that culminated in this month’s news that of the 1,200 tons of whale meat the industry brought to market after last summer’s hunt, 75% remained unsold.

Not only was the bulk of the meat from the hunt left unsold, much of it did not even receive a bid despite being listed at around 50% discount.

Japanese people are not interested in eating whale meat anymore. As civil dissent becomes more common in Japan following the tsunami and nuclear disaster, the Japanese public is increasingly being exposed to more conservation-related points of view.

The damning and popular 2010 documentary The Cove, which focused on dolphin hunting, was finally released in Japan and proved quite popular, despite a protest by a handful of angry nationalists.

Soon a subtitled version of Big Miracle, a film about the rescue of grey whales trapped in ice, will also be shown. This too could help reduce demand further and bring the industry another step towards its inevitable end.

Five years ago it would have been unthinkable for either of these films to be shown here, let alone in major cinemas.

The bell is truly tolling for Japan’s commercial whaling industry. It’s only been clinging to life by sinking its dirty claws into the public purse.

But times are tough for Japan, and the public – angry and disillusioned with a government that continues to ignore them – are finally standing up in great numbers against recklessness of officials, against waste, and against corruption.

I hope we have seen the last whaling expedition to the Antarctic. With science, finance, and public opinion all against this reckless hunt, it is hard to see how it can continue.

I wish I could be one of those people who dedicate their lives for protecting such magnificent creature. I could dedicate my entire life energy, stren...

I wish I could be one of those people who dedicate their lives for protecting such magnificent creature. I could dedicate my entire life energy, strenght and knowledge to serve this cause, however, I'm just another poor latinoamerican guy who only watches the fight of others through internet. I could even offer my life to that mission to make it worth it instead of crawling in a pathetic existing trying to get an average way of living according to capitalistic standars. I would live and would die pleased doing that, That's why I congratulate Mr. Junichi Sato and his Staff from the bottom of my heart because they are alive, not like me.
I know this comment will be read by no one, but I just felt I had to write it and, for the ones that probably send me insult for the decadence of my writings I just have this to tell them: No matter You or I, whales have been long here than us and deserve a thousand times more to be here than humans, and the smallest effort of a human to preserve them is a justification of the existence of a our specie.
Excusing with those feel offended by my words.

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(Unregistered) Gábor
says:

I also congratulate Mr Junichi Sato for his dedication to save the whales, these beautiful creatures that roam the seas since long long long time ago....

I also congratulate Mr Junichi Sato for his dedication to save the whales, these beautiful creatures that roam the seas since long long long time ago. For how long ? Time will tell. I hope the Japanese whale industry will sink deeper than the blue sea. Then we will be able to admire these beautiful animals.
Mr Alejandro ! Don't worry your words are strong and some of us respect NATURE and it's beauty...

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(Unregistered) bill-texan
says:

Chasing ships is a waste of time. Organize an international boycott against Toyota (Japan's most important international firm) and the whaling will stop very quickly. Note that Korea now wants to whale. They'll change direction quickly as well if a successful boycott against Toyota is launched.

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(Unregistered) Ron Anderson
says:

Science is for everybody, isn't it?

Long ago as a teenager I read with great interest a book by a man called Slipjer or something? H...

Science is for everybody, isn't it?

Long ago as a teenager I read with great interest a book by a man called Slipjer or something? He had spent years studying whales on whaling ships in Scandinavia. It was a very informative large book detailing anatomy of many different species as he had observed being butchered on these vessels.

The scientific study of whales has long been recorded already is my point. Studying them to extinction is not an option any scientist would sanction, although some are undoubtedly lacking with regard to the ongoing nurturing of life in all its forms.

There should be good potential mileage in promoting an international publicity thrust toward having Japan publicly table their past and ongoing annual whaling research results and the 'names of the scientists involved' for the whole world to use, seeing it is regarded with such value to them. Constant pervasive international embarassment toward this end has to add another useful nail or two to the coffin steadily being built for this effort.

Another useful potential thrust surely would be to apply pressure toward scientific evidence only being accumulated from living specimens or animals dying of natural causes. We don't kill people for scientific research anymore, although Japan does not have a good historic record in this regard either I've seen.

If Japan exploits a loophole then closing it should only be a case of getting through to the uncompassionate airheads who think fair diplomatic waffle is more important than ending probable species extinctions.

Anyway, please share the theme with those who can best explore its potentials, won't you?

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(Unregistered) LGreen
says:

Mr. Anderson
The names of the Japanese scientists involved with whale research are already made public and available to anybody who wants to see...

Mr. Anderson
The names of the Japanese scientists involved with whale research are already made public and available to anybody who wants to see them. In fact the ICR itself publishes a list of the research papers which includes the names of the scientists. Maybe if you were really so involved and worried about the situation you would know that.

And RAPTOR, the SSCS's actions will never stop whaling. Vigilanties have never been successful in the long run. Studies and polls in Japan have clearly shown that despite declining demand for the meat the public support for whaling is growing and the reasons given is that, thanks to the SSCS, whaling is being seen as part of their cultural and national identity rather than just as a business. The SSCS is seen as a group of bullies and cultural imperialist such that people who don't support whaling still support the fight against the SSCS.

If the SSCS would curb their illegal actions then other real conservation groups could convince the Japanese public to support the stopping of whaling.

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(Unregistered) Loggerhead
says:

100% with you Raptor. I've never seen Green Peace achieve much to curb whaling. Sea Shepherd are the future as far as I'm concerned. Direct ac...

100% with you Raptor. I've never seen Green Peace achieve much to curb whaling. Sea Shepherd are the future as far as I'm concerned. Direct action achieves results and, yes, Mr Green Sea Shepherd are hated by a no of countries that are stuck in the dark ages. I am convinced that Japan continues to slaughter to 'save face' but year after year Sea Shepherd are there costing them a small fortune and getting an awful lot of press time in the process.
And, Mr Green, which illegal activities do you refer to?